“Diplomacy is the only path forward in resolving the Ukraine crisis” — Shavkat Mirziyoyev

At the beginning of his speech, the president emphasized that the meeting was taking place amid unpredictable global developments.

“Our meeting is being held under the conditions of rapidly evolving and unpredictable global processes.

“We are witnessing escalating geopolitical tensions, growing security challenges, major regional conflicts, and increasing social and economic threats to sustainable development.

“It is clear that no region can address such complex issues on its own, without broad international cooperation.

“In this regard, I would like to stress that Central Asia and the European Union are traditional partners, and the demand for close cooperation between us is only growing. Like the European side, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles and norms of international law.

“We welcome and fully support the launch of negotiation processes aimed at resolving the situation around Ukraine by peaceful means. We understand that there are extremely complex and challenging issues ahead.

“However, we see no alternative to diplomatic efforts and the adoption of political decisions,” said the President of Uzbekistan.